1. Field of the Disclosure
The present invention is generally directed to methods for machining workpieces, as well as fluids utilized during machining operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Machining operations, broadly including grinding, lapping and polishing operations, are widely used throughout various industries in order to obtain desired surface finishes and to shape components. Machining operations are widely utilized in the context of non-metal, inorganic components, such as glass, glass-ceramic and ceramic components, which are deployed in a wide variety of end uses. For example, glass and glass-ceramic components are utilized widely as building materials in both commercial and residential applications. Also, glass materials are widely utilized in electronic packaging, optical applications, and solar applications, and as advanced materials in lighting and architectural applications, and increasingly as flat panel displays.
The various design requirements placed upon demanding applications for glass, glass-ceramics and ceramics have further heightened the need for precise machining operations that ideally characterized by high material removal rates and controlled or minimized surface defects due to undesirable scratching, pitting, galling, or other surface defect mechanisms.
Particularly in the context of flat workpiece preparation, lapping and polishing operations are widely used, which incorporates use of a fixed abrasive, in which the abrasive grains are fixed in position. Here, a fixed abrasive is generally defined as one of two types of abrasive components, a bonded abrasive or a coated abrasive component. Coated abrasives generally have a flexible backing to which abrasive grains are bonded, while bonded abrasives are generally composed of abrasive grains that are bonded together such as by a matrix that forms an intergranular bonding phase. Such fixed abrasives should be contrasted against free abrasives or abrasive slurries, in which the abrasive grains are generally loose, often times in a fluidic suspension, such as an aqueous suspension. Fixed abrasives provide numerous advantages during machining operations including potentially improved planarity and improved process control. However, a need continues to exist in the art for improved machining operations utilizing fixed abrasive components, particularly in the context of glass, glass-ceramic and ceramic components.